Barbershop visit

Today was thankfully cloudier and a little cooler. We decided to return to Frigiliana for yet another wander around the streets and their interesting small shops. It was sheer serendipidy that our progress in a narrow street was halted by the passage of several cars, obliging us to stop and take refuge for a moment, next to a barber's shop, La Pelu de Fran. On an impulse, with encouragement from Clare, happy to go gift hunting on her own, I decided it was time for a nine euro haircut. After all it's the best part of eleven weeks since our dear friend Chris gave me luxury treatement at the Coleg Glan Hafren School of Coiffure, and now I'm having mane control issues.

I must emphasise what a risk this move across the threshold of a barber's shop entails for me, without sufficient vocabulary to ensure a happy outcome to the process. OK, the barber has enough English speaking clients to navigate through the morass of desires and vanities in a tongue of which he is not the master, but I needed an opportunity to speak Spanish in the 'real life' context. Well, that's the general idea. It was an enjoyable experience, with a large housewife and a small boy in the queue behind me and others popping their heads around the door and chatting. 

The barbers? A social centre in village life, place to catch up on the news, find out about people you know. I came away with a nice close crop, as short as I had it ten years ago, which pleases me. In this brief experience I recalled visiting a Palestinian barber in East Jerusalem during my sabatical stay in the Holy City. His English was even better, and I got my ear and nose hairs brought under control into the bargain. There's a whole world of intimacy and trust issues surrounding barbers' shops the world over, and lessons to be learned from them about the things that make for peace.

before having lunch another time at La Bodeguilla restaurant - such a good experience. Clare had a swordfish steak again for for main course and I opted for their chorizo, but we both started with sopa de ajo blanco - a cold milky looking soup with the silky flavour of garlic, and the grainy feel of ground almonds, garnished with sweet raisins - a typically local dish, like everything on their menu, and a culinary revelation! I so enjoy eating here, as the all female staff really seem to enjoy sharing with customers the food they prepare.

After lunch we made our way back to Church House by way of Lidl's for some food shopping, and then a late siesta and a leisurely evening supper on the terrace, listening to the birds ending their day with conversations in our neighbouring pine tree.